- José de Santa Rita Durão
José de Santa Rita Durão (1720-1784) was a
Brazil ian poet born nearMarianna , in the province ofMinas Geraes , in 1720, and died inLisbon in 1784.He studied at
Coimbra , inPortugal , graduated as a doctor of divinity, became a member of the Augustinian order offriar s, and obtained a great reputation as a preacher. Having irritated the minister Pombal by his defence of theJesuits , he retired from Portugal in 1759; and, after being imprisoned inSpain as a spy, found his way toItaly in 1763, where he became acquainted with Alfieri, Pindemonte, Casti and other literary men of the time.On his return to Portugal he delivered the opening address at the
University of Coimbra for the year 1777; but soon after retired to thecloister s of aGratian convent. At the time of his death he taught in the little college belonging to that order in Lisbon. His epic in tencanto s, entitled "Caramru, poema epico do descubrimento da Bahia", appeared in Lisbon in 1781, but proved at first a total failure. Its value has gradually been recognized, and it now ranks as one of the best poems in Brazilian literature -- remarkable especially for its fine descriptions of scenery and native life inSouth America . The historic institute ofRio de Janeiro offered a prize to the author of the best essay on the legend ofCaramuru ; and the successful competitor published a new edition of Durão's poem. There is a French translation which appeared inParis in 1829.See Adolfo de Varnhagen, "Epicos Brazileiros" (1845); Pereira da Silva, "Os Vares lustres do Brasil" (1858); Wolf, "Le Brásil litteratire" (
Berlin , 1863); Sotero dos Reis, "Curso de litteratura Portugueza e Brazileira", vol. iv. (Maranhão , 1868); Jos Verissimo, "Estudos de literatura Brazileira, segunda serie" (Rio, 1901).References
*1911
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.